Blue Star Families Annual Military Families Lifestyle Survey Results: Women in Uniform Show Strength, But Military Families Face Readiness Challenges as 83% Expect Conflict

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Star Families, the nation's largest and fastest-growing military and Veteran family support organization, today published the results of its Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS), marking the 15th year of this transformative research. Conducted from March to May 2024, the survey garnered more than 5,500 responses globally from active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members, Veterans, and their families.

For years, the survey has provided critical insights to military leaders across all branches, the Department of Defense, lawmakers, the private sector, and administration officials, shaping policies that directly support military families.

The findings provide critical insights into the unique challenges military and Veteran families face, from spouse employment and child care to mental health care and financial stress.

"The Blue Star Families survey shows that there are great strengths in the military family community — strength in uniformed women, strength in the value families find in service. Yet the challenges are eroding readiness, and we need to respond as a nation, especially as the All-Volunteer Force faces a time of impending conflict," said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families.

Key Findings:

• Mismatched Perceptions of Military Service Appreciation: While 45% of Americans believe the public truly appreciates military families' sacrifices, only 19% of active-duty families agree.
• Housing and Financial Crisis Deepens: An increasing proportion of military families are unable to cover housing costs with their allotted Basic Housing for Housing (BAH). In 2024, only 26% of active-duty family respondents reported their monthly housing costs were covered by BAH, down from 42% in 2020. Junior enlisted families are particularly impacted, with only 36% feeling financially stable compared to 62% of active-duty families overall and 72% of U.S. adults.
• More Female Service Members are Recommending Military Service: Female service member respondents are significantly more likely to recommend military service to a young family member compared to their male counterparts. Nearly 80% of female service members express pride in their accomplishments during military service, as compared to 69% of their male counterparts.
• Spouse Employment and Child Care: Spouse unemployment continues to be a significant concern, with 54% of active-duty spouses citing it as one of the most pressing challenges their families face. Additionally, the proportion of active-duty families who consider two incomes vital to their well-being has increased dramatically from 63% in 2019 to 77% in 2024.
• Mental Health Care Access Barriers: Active-duty families face significant mental health care challenges, with nearly 40% encountering wait-lists for their own care and 44% of those seeking care for a child. Nearly 90% of those whose child was put on a wait-list waited more than three months for mental health care.
• Conflicts Ahead Demand Improved Military Family Readiness: 83% of active-duty families and 67% of Americans believe the U.S. will engage in a major conflict within the next 3-5 years. With tension mounting and conflict on the horizon, it is imperative that more needs to be done to bolster military families' well-being.

As the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, the MFLS has collected more than 107,000 cumulative responses to date. It serves as the preeminent tool for cross-sector leaders and policymakers to understand the experiences and challenges faced by military families.

Blue Star Families relies on this data to guide its advocacy and public outreach work, including a multi-year focus on quality-of-life concerns — efforts that helped shape the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). For more information about policy wins, see here.

Learn More & Read the Full Report

View the full survey results: www.bluestarfam.org/mfls

Interested in a deeper dive? Additional opportunities to speak directly with the Blue Star Families' Applied Research Team are available to interested parties.

For media inquiries or to schedule a briefing, please contact:
Media Relations
Blue Star Families
(844) 202-7827, ext. 4
[email protected]

About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation's largest military and Veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually. For more information, click here.

SOURCE Blue Star Families